The Tears of Gaia
by Allicloud
Summary: The Tears of Gaia. An artifact of unmeasurable magical power from the Ancient Days. If found, they would be the discovery of the century! At least, those are Twilight Sparkle's thoughts. But soon she will find that she and her friends are not the only ones who are after the Tears. And so what starts as a simple trip will soon escalate into the greatest journey of their lives.
1. Prologue

_Here follows the account of Starswirl the Bearded on the origins of the Alicorns, the creation of our world, the coming of the Blight, and the forging of the Elements of Harmony. All information is gained from first-hoof interviews with Their Majesties Princesses Luna and Celestia._

* * *

In the beginning, in the time before time, there was the Vita. For an eternity, the Vita was without form, alone in an empty universe. Then, as it gathered together, pressing in upon itself, it gained physicality. And thus Cosmos came to be.

From its own body, Cosmos formed a book, not of paper or leather, neither bound or pressed. This book simply was and was so created to give form to the words written upon it. To sate its own bodily desires, Cosmos came to write of Others with the power to create, Others who would do its bidding without question.

To each of the Others was given a book similar to that of Cosmos, along with the command to create. So the Others set to writing of whole worlds and other, lesser creatures to live upon them, and all that was written of came to be. For endless ages, the Others would preside over their subjects on their own worlds.

On one world in particular, many of the Others concentrated their works, aspiring to make a world free of flaws. Lands were divided and given to each race to preside over, though with the freedom to travel to and fro from land to land. The task of maintaining these lands and races was shared between the Others who toiled over it. Many would write of physical forms for themselves, so that they could go among the lesser creatures that inhabited this world. To ease their interaction, they would take on a form similar to those with whom they would work. Of all the Others, nine were those who worked with this world. Six frequently took the forms of the creatures they loved above all others for their humility and willingness to learn. These creatures were known as ponies, and predominantly inhabited the northern half of the largest continent in the world, where we ponies mostly still live today. These six Others took similar forms, though with greater perfection and stature than their subjects. They referred to themselves as Alicorns.

The first of the six was Augustus, who took on a form with fur the colour of clay and a mane that flowed grey like smoke. He (for the Alicorns assumed genders as well as physical forms) would teach the creatures of the world the ideas of civilisation and economy, so that each race could grow beyond simple living and work towards expansion and greatness.

The second was called Marina, who would preside over the seas that surrounded the lands. Blue was her coat, and blue also was her mane, which flowed and rippled like water. She would control the wild waves and calm them so that creatures could travel across them, as well as filling the seas with life of their own.

Then there was Iudex, the third. He took it upon himself to teach morality and law to the creatures, and help each race to determine rules of its own. His coat was orange, and his orange-and-yellow mane raged and writhed like fire.

The fourth was Gaia. Her Alicorn form was one with light green fur and a mane like white clouds. Her dominion was over the very earth itself, for she adored all that nature had to offer. She taught the creatures of the world to respect and care for the world they lived in. But since Augustus taught them expansion and civilisation before, they found Gaia's teachings difficult to follow. So she cordoned off areas of the world where no civilisation could grow, and the land would forever remain wild and free. The best known was the area of untamed wilderness we now know as the Everfree Forest, but many other such wildernesses were created throughout the world, including the Southern Forests of Cervidas and the Sea of Sand in Zebrica.

Lastly there were the sisters, who called themselves Celestia and Luna, after the great bodies they controlled. The elder, Celestia, was pure white with a mane of endless colours. She would control the great star that was nearest to the world, the Sun, so that it would rise and illuminate the world. Luna, the younger, would control the smaller body known as the Moon, whose glow would light up the dark. Her body and mane were both deep blue like her dominion of dusk. The sisters would alternate the rising and falling of their respective spheres, creating day and night over the world. But they loved the creatures of their world, the ponies more than any others, and longed to live among them. So, against the advice of their kin, they forsook their divinity, giving their books to the other Alicorns and taking their physical forms permanently. They lost their power of creation, but retained their immortality and their power over the Sun and Moon. In these forms they went among the ponies, sometimes as kin, sometimes as rulers.

Now, there were three Others who ruled alongside the Alicorns. But their indecision over the race they loved the most drove them to take on a different form to their Alicorn kin. They would take on many different forms at once, so that they appeared made of parts of many different creatures. With this in mind they took the name Draconequus, meaning Dragon Horse.

The first of the three was Morpheus. His body was long and sinuous like a snake's, with a horselike head and large, membranous wings. He held sway over the dreams of all creatures, so that they could emulate the Others in creation but within the safe confines of their own imaginations.

Then there was Thanatos. His form was unknown, since he always went among creatures cloaked in black. His power was over the end of life, of mortality and what lay thereafter. It was his task to escort those who had reached their end and guide them to the Lands Beyond, where they could live eternally in bliss.

The last and most powerful was known as Eriseus. His form lived up to the name Draconequus the most, being like that of a large grey pony, but with the hindquarters and tail of a red dragon. Great wings stretched from his back and horns sprouted from his head. He reigned over the greatest asset of the lesser creatures: their desire to create and expand, and aspire towards greatness and power. He taught them to desire creative abilities and would then teach them these abilities himself. Thus he became greatly loved by all creatures for his benevolence.

So these nine Others, the six Alicorns and the three Draconequi, ruled over the world and its creatures. And for endless ages, life was good for all beings. With the Others to guide them, the creatures of the world forged great empires and dominions in peace and harmony.

But sadly it was not to last.

One fateful day, as they guided the ponies in the art of mining and the use of ores and precious stones, Eriseus and Augustus delved too deep into the earth and awoke something. It was impossible to describe, save for one word: Corruption.

Eriseus and Augustus tried desperately to shut away that which they had discovered and to herd their subjects away from the abhorrent place, but the Corruption spilled forth like a great cloud, and took hold over both Others. Augustus escaped its grasp, but Eriseus was not fast enough, and was consumed. Taking root, it poisoned his mind and twisted his body into something hideous to behold. Gone was the kind and loving Eriseus, and now awoke the monstrous being of madness and chaos known as Discord. Under the control of the corrupting Blight, he went to each of his Draconequus brothers. The Blight spread and twisted the three into monstrous and ugly forms. Morpheus of the dreams became Decay, destroyer of all that the Alicorns had created. And Thanatos, for the first time, tossed back his hood to reveal a pale, fleshless skull; no longer did he escort the aged to their just reward in the Lands Beyond, but instead brought an end to life itself as Death.

The Draconequi came together in their newfound hatred of the Alicorns, who strived for harmony, truth and life. To them, the Alicorns represented everything they now stood against. They rose up, claiming the world by force before the Alicorns had a chance to react. The world fell into ruin and disarray under the twisted rule of these monsters, destroying all the hard work of the Alicorns and causing unrest and unhappiness wherever they went.

Finally, the Alicorns could gather their full strength, summoning many great creatures to their cause, before launching a mass attack upon the Draconequi. But the three brothers had themselves been highly creative, forming many lesser Draconequi of their own, and endless hordes of savage monsters. And so a great battle was fought in the heavens between the Alicorns and the Draconequi, led respectively by the embodiments of order and chaos. Races and species came and went, and whole lands appeared and disappeared as the battle raged on.

After what seemed like an eternity the Alicorns were victorious, subduing two of their corrupted kin as the third fled to the lands in the south. But because the Alicorns were willing to be merciful, they made an offer to Death and Decay. The two Draconequi were told that they may be forgiven and allowed to continue their ways (Under careful scrutiny, of course), provided they would turn in their brother Discord and surrender their own books. Seeing no way out, the brothers agreed and turned in their books, giving the location of Discord and what remained of his army.

The sisters Celestia and Luna took five jewels from the earth, and channelled into each jewel the power of one of the aspects of harmony and love that the two Alicorn princesses had come to hold in highest regard. These five jewels became known as the Elements of Harmony, representing Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness and Laughter. Through these five jewels, the sisters discovered that they could generate the most powerful force known to Other or lesser creature, the force we now know as magic, which they then channelled into a sixth jewel. Discord and his army of monsters battled stubbornly on, but in vain, as the Elements of Harmony cleaved through any who stood in their way. Finally, Discord was all who remained to fight.

Celestia and Luna could not, however, destroy their fellow Other, and so made one last appeal to Discord. They promised that he may be allowed some sway over the world, if he would only hand over his own book of creation and surrender. But in response Discord consumed his book, absorbing the power of creation into himself. The Blight lunged forth from his body, grabbing at the Alicorn sisters to corrupt the two. Celestia evaded its grasp with ease, but Luna was caught in its grip and nearly consumed, before Celestia stepped forth and launched a barrage of magic. Discord and the Blight fell back, and in this brief moment of hesitance, Celestia and Luna saw their chance. Rising up and harnessing the full power of the Elements of Harmony, their magic blasted the body of Discord, and encased his essence in stone. What remained of the Blight's monstrous army was gathered together and herded to the place now known as Tartarus. There they were sealed away behind great gates of iron and stone, where they remain to this day.

The Alicorns were victorious, but at a price. Each of the three Draconequi had taken a considerable hold on the world, which was reduced to a hollow shell of its former glory. Of all the Alicorns, Gaia was most saddened by the destruction of her beloved world. Her weeping was long and loud, as in her grief she held her lands closer and closer to her, her grip tightening until she became one with the very Earth she so loved. In her memory, the Alicorns took her tears and forged them into a great green jewel to preserve the legacy of their fallen sister.

It was then that the Alicorns departed from the world for the last time, their work done, shedding their physical bodies and joining their fellow Others. But before they did so, each of the Alicorns would leave behind a trace amount of their magic, which fused with the Tears of Gaia, as one final gift to their world. But what was a small amount of magical power to an Alicorn was near infinite to any lesser creature, and so the great jewel grew to be more beautiful than any other in the world, and was a reservoir of more magic than any other known artefact in existence.

Celestia and Luna remained behind, unable to join their kin since they had forsaken their divinity. It was at this time, however, that a new nation came to be in the world. It was a united nation of the three pony tribes: the winged pegasi, the magical unicorns and the industrious earth ponies, and was known as Equestria. So the sisters came to the ponies to help this flourishing new nation, and were immediately hailed as the new rulers due to their power, majesty and benevolence in the past.

And so from the ashes of the war with the Draconequi, a new world emerged, greater and more bountiful than ever before. With the Alicorn sisters, known now as the Royal Princesses, ruling over their peaceful new nation, and the Tears of Gaia safely hidden away, life returned to the world once again, and thus it has been ever since.


	2. Six is Company

**Book 1  
A Step Beyond the Familiar**

* * *

In the main hall of the Ponyville Library, the gentle clip-clop of hooves echoed off the walls as Twilight Sparkle paced round the central table in an endless circle. Stopping briefly, she looked up at the clock that hung above the endless bookshelves that formed the walls. But the time she saw did little to calm her down. With a groan, she resumed her pacing once more.

"Okay, what's the big dilemma this time?"

She did not even look up as Spike descended the carved wooden staircase to join her on the ground floor. "She's late…" Twilight muttered to nopony in particular. "Why is it she's only ever late when I know I have a delivery coming?"

"Delivery? Oh, so you're waiting for Derpy then?" Spike asked, his mind putting two and two together. Twilight nodded as she continued to pace round and round. Spike scratched his neck as he asked, "So what's this big delivery then?"

Finally Twilight grew tired of endlessly pacing and sat down on a cushion by the table. "I ordered a new shipment of books to replace some old damaged ones I found in the basement. Honestly, you'd think whoever worked here before me had no regard for the welfare of these books!"

"You're running a library Twilight, not an animals' home," Spike said with a grin.

She prepared to deliver a rebuttal, but the look on Spike's face was enough to break her self-imposed frustration.  
"Yeah, you're right," she chuckled, "It's just that some of the stuff I saw downstairs looked so fascinating! Really old books about really strange, arcane subjects! I just had to have some fresh copies delivered!"

As if on cue, there came an enthusiastic knock on the door.

"Ah! Speak of the draconequus!"

With a slight spring in her step, Twilight hurried to the door and yanked it open. There before her stood a familiar grey pegasus.

"Oh thank goodness, it's the right tree this time!" Derpy Hooves chirped as she leant against a large cardboard box that stood beside her.

"Hey Derpy." Twilight smiled as she greeted the friendly, if sometimes a bit airheaded, delivery mare. "So, are these those new books I ordered?"

"Sure are, Miss Sparkle. Sorry for the delay. I, er… went in the wrong direction when I was looking for your place and ended up the other end of town. By the way, did you know there's a tree down that way that looks exactly like this one?"

Rolling her eyes, Twilight stamped off the delivery form and began to levitate the box indoors. "That's okay, Derpy. And thanks!"

With a tip of her imaginary hat, Derpy flapped off on her next delivery. Twilight pulled the door shut and set the large box on the ground. One burst of magic later, the box was wide open and the books were set in a neat row along the desk.

"I'll leave you to it while I get started on lunch," Spike called with a chuckle as he headed through to the kitchen. Twilight needed no second bidding as she eagerly set to skimming through each book one by one, sticking in the paper inserts that labelled it as property of the library.

Once that was done, she looked up to the clock again. "Hmm…looks like I have some free time until the next item on my schedule." She glanced again at the pile of brand new books, which now sat stacked at the end of the table. A wide grin spread across her face. How could she possibly resist?

The book at the top of the stack floated to her side of the table as she made herself comfortable. The spine creaked slightly as she opened the pages, inhaling the sweet, crisp scent of new books. It had cost her half the library's monthly budget to order these books, but in her mind, it was worth it.

A few hours later, Spike shouted from the kitchen as he laid the table, "Hey Twilight, come take a break, will ya? Lunch is ready!"

The only response he received was a non-committal "'Kay…" from the hall. Peeping his head round the doorframe, he could see Twilight seated on the floor, surrounded by her new books, along with dozens of other assorted books and scrolls. As her eyes scanned the pages, sometimes switching between pages at breakneck speed, Spike could see her scribbling down notes on extra rolls of parchment.

"Hey Twilight, c'mon!" Spike called again, "I made us some hay fries."

She tried to respond and wave away the offer but she was assailed by the delicious smell of the crisp, crunchy delicacy, fresh out of the frying pan. It had been a while since she last had any hay fries. Her rumbling stomach concurred.

Reluctantly, she slipped a scrap of parchment into the pages as a makeshift bookmark, and joined Spike at the small table in the kitchen.

For a few moments, the only sound that came from either of them was the crunch of the fries or the occasional little sound of satisfaction. It was Twilight who finally broke the silence.

"Hey Spike?"

"Hmm?"

She sat back from her meal for a moment. "Have you ever heard of something called the Tears of Gaia?"

Spike looked up from his dining, crumbs and flakes of hay falling from his lips. "The what now?"

"It's just something I noticed in those new books," Twilight replied as she gazed around at nothing in particular. "It keeps mentioning them, the Frozen Tears of Gaia. But the funny thing is, I can't find any actual description of what they are, what they do…"

"Well, what _do_ the books say about them?" Spike queried.

"Well, nothing direct." As she spoke, Twilight's horn flared up with a magenta glow. Several of the books came floating through the doorway, encased by the same aura. "As best I can discern, whatever these Tears are, they're incredibly ancient, possibly as old as Princess Celestia. That, and that they're extremely powerful."

"Powerful in what way though?"

The unicorn shook her head. "No idea. Here, listen to this. The author is talking about lost artefacts: '…And so the Sapphire Statue takes its place among the greatest mysteries of Equestria that have yet to be rediscovered, joining ranks alongside the vanishing army of Luna, the lost sword of Commander Hurricane and possibly most ancient and prized of all, the legendary Frozen Tears of Gaia.'"

She looked up to Spike, who nodded, "Yeah, go on."

"That's all there is." Twilight sighed, passing the book to Spike. "I've gone through all these books and found nothing." Pushing her plate aside, she rested her chin upon the table.

Spike gulped down another mouthful of fries. "Mmm…I dunno Twilight, I'd imagine something as powerful as all that would have tonnes written about it. It just doesn't add up."

The pair sat in silence once more, dwelling with their own thoughts on this newfound mystery.

"Hey, maybe it's like those time spells!" Spike suddenly said. "Remember? They were all kept in that secure wing at the Canterlot Archives."

"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Twilight perked up almost instantly. "If those Tears of Gaia are really so powerful, any information about them would probably be top secret and secure! Well then, it's a good thing I'm the Princess's personal pupil. I can probably tell them it's for research and the archivists should understand."

Spike sniggered, "Yeah, that or the security is still as easy-going as it was last time."

Twilight could not help but laugh too. She still remembered how the guards had not only _not_ arrested her for sneaking into the Archives, but they actually helped her get in. Being the personal protégée of royalty certainly had its perks.

"So then," Spike continued, "If none of the books here have anything useful, I guess the Canterlot Archives are your next best bet."

"That sounds just about right. I can head up there tomorrow morning. I'm mostly free that day… Hey, I should ask the girls, see if they wanna come too! It's been a while since we all went up to Canterlot together."

Twilight got up and levitated her empty plate into the sink. "Spike, clear my schedule for tomorrow. I can rearrange things once I get back from Canterlot."

As Spike dutifully got to work seeking out Twilight's calendar, the unicorn headed out the door and into town to seek out her friends. Inwardly, she prayed for the sort of luck that would allow some of her friends to be free for a day trip to the royal city.

Twilight's luck could not have been better.

Not only were _all_ of her friends free to make a trip to Canterlot that day, but several were already there! Applejack had headed up there for a special national market day to sell her family's wares, and Sweetie Belle had told them that Rarity had been summoned to the city to do a personal commission for Fancypants's wife. Miss Fleur apparently insisted that Rarity stay with them while they did business.

So the next morning came and the four young mares that remained had convened at the train depot. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash waited on the platform as Pinkie Pie and Twilight bought the tickets for the four of them.

"There ya go, Miss. Anything else for the journey?" the stallion behind the shop counter asked as he printed out the tickets.

"Could I have a newspaper too, please?"

"Certainly." He pointed to a small rack, displaying half a dozen different papers, from broadsheets to tabloids and everything in between. "Which one do ya want? The Ponyville Express, the National Gazette, the Canterlot Tribune…"

"I'll take an Equestria Daily," she replied. Paying for her purchases, she tucked the thick newspaper and the tickets into her saddlebag and moved aside to allow Pinkie to purchase her supply of snacks for the journey. Finally, she returned with her dozen sticky buns and four smoothies and the group boarded the train.

As it pulled out of the station, Twilight and her friends took their seats together. Twilight set to scanning the newspaper for anything of interest.

"Anything good in there, Twilight?" Rainbow asked as she read over the violet unicorn's shoulder.

Twilight shook her head. "Not really. The territory negotiations with the Diamond Dogs are still going nowhere apparently… Sapphire Shores' latest album got four stars… Ooh, here's something interesting!"

She laid the newspaper flat so that her friends could read. "Apparently there are emissaries from Cervidas and the Griffon Kingdom in Canterlot. Hmm, doesn't really say why though…"

"Griffons in Canterlot? Oh my..."

"Oh Fluttershy, don't worry!" Pinkie said as she patted the yellow pegasus reassuringly on the head. "Not all griffons are as grumpy and mean as Gilda was. Remember Gustav LeGrande?"

The yellow pegasus smiled a bit, "Well, I guess that's true…"

"Where was the other guy from again?"

Twilight pointed to a photo of the emissaries from the two nations standing alongside Princess Celestia, smiling for the camera. On her left stood a white and grey griffon, decked out in a scarlet military jacket, complete with a velvety red and gold cape. And to Celestia's right was the emissary from Cervidas. He was a venerable, but graceful-looking stag in a simple pale green tunic and cloak. "The other one is from Cervidas, the deer nation. I've read that it's this huge forested land south of Equestria, but I've never heard of any deerfolk coming this far north before."

"Why not? Are they just shy or somethin'?" Rainbow chuckled.

But Twilight nodded, "Well, yes, in a way actually. From what I know, the deerfolk are rather like the zebra tribes: they just like to keep to themselves and not leave their land too often. So whatever's going on there, it must be pretty big to make them travel to Equestria."

As they flipped through the paper more, they found a few more articles of interest, but nothing that warranted much conversation.

"So Twilight, what's this whole trip about?" Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash joined the discussion. "Yeah, because you're not really the type to decide to go on a day trip just for fun. Did Princess Celestia wanna see you?"

The unicorn shook her head. "Actually, this is a personal trip. Y'see, yesterday I received some new books to replace some really old ones I found in the library basement. They were filled with some pretty fascinating stuff, but one thing stood out to me. Something called the Tears of Gaia."

"Ooh, that's a pretty name, Gaia!" Pinkie interrupted, "But why would somepony write about her tears? And who is she anyway?"

Twilight carried on, "Well, that's just it. None of these books really talk about what the Tears are. All I could figure out from what I read is that they are something extremely powerful in some way, and that they are incredibly old as well. Maybe as old as Princess Celestia herself!"

"Wait, that'd mean these tears, whatever they are, could be at least a thousand years old!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Exactly," replied Twilight, "Pretty intriguing, wouldn't you say? So I'm going to try and see if the Canterlot Archives have anything more informative."

Fluttershy then spoke up. "Well, if these Tears are as old as Princess Celestia, then they might have some connection with her. So don't you think you should ask her about it?"

"Hmm, maybe," Twilight replied, gazing out the window. "But with the griffons and deer visiting, I'm betting she'll be pretty busy. If I haven't found anything by the time the emissaries leave, I'll talk to her."

As the train pulled into the Canterlot depot around noon, the four mares headed out and off in their separate directions. "Alright girls, you go have some fun, see the sights, do what you like. I'll be over at the Archives, so come and meet me in there around suppertime."

"Don't you want some help?" Fluttershy asked, hanging back.

Twilight shuffled on the spot, scuffing the ground with a hoof. "Well, normally I would, but…well, truth is when it comes to studying or research, I typically work better on my own. You understand, right?"

"Of course. See you then." Fluttershy replied, giving a quick smile before trotting off towards the market district.

Twilight, meanwhile, set off towards the massive spired building that was the Canterlot Archives. The idea of so much knowledge and history all crammed into a single building together, as if waiting for an eager researcher such as herself. It gave her the shivers just thinking about it.

A low creak echoed through the otherwise silent hallway as the doors to the Canterlot Royal Archives swung open. An elderly unicorn stallion at the reception desk looked up to see a familiar silhouette stride through the doorway.

"Well well, Twilight Sparkle. How long has it been since you graced my archives with your presence?" he called with a wrinkled smile.

"Not as long as you think," Twilight murmured under her breath. "Hi, Mr Scrollstacker. How have you been?"

"Eh, been keeping myself busy, I guess. So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I'm doing some research on an ancient artefact, but none of my books have much information on it, so I wondered if you might have something about it. It's something called the Tears of Gaia…"

"Hah! The Tears of Gaia?!" Scrollstacker scoffed derisively, "I think you'd be better off checking the fantasy section in the foals' library m'dear."

She frowned at the old archivist. "Don't give me that! It really does exist, I know it!"

"Oh please." Scrollstacker waved his hoof. "The Tears of Gaia are nothing but a plot device from an ancient myth. It's just an old pony's tale."

"You mean like Nightmare Moon?"

The archivist stopped dead in his tracks. As he desperately tried to prepare a counter-argument, he saw the look of raw determination on Twilight's face. "Alright, point taken. Here, follow me. We'll see if we can't find something."

Smiling with satisfaction, Twilight followed Scrollstacker into the Archives. They passed through the high-ceilinged corridor and entered the room labelled '_Pre-Equestrian History_'.

"If we have any information to do with these Tears, you'll probably find it in here. I'd start in the books on alicorn origin theories or on the foundation of Equestria."

Twilight gazed with wide eyes at the thousands of scrolls, tomes and grimoires that lined the walls. "Right. Thanks…"

Without another word, she wandered awestruck into the thick of the archive room. Scrollstacker smirked as he headed back to the front desk. "Oh, and if you do fall asleep, try to make sure there aren't any books nearby. Last time you were here, it took me about a week to get the saliva stains out of that copy of the Protocols of the Elders of Smooze."

Twilight felt her cheeks flush red as the awkward memory sprung up in her mind. "Heh, no problem… Oh, and if anypony comes in asking for me, let them in."

The archivist nodded one last time and closed the door behind him. Needing no second bidding, Twilight rushed to the nearest shelf and began scanning the titles for anything of some relevance. Surely here, in the greatest collection of ancient artefacts and written word in Equestria, there would be some hint or scrap of information that would provide some leads to the Tears of Gaia.

Six hours later, the young unicorn sat at the central table, hair dishevelled and eyes red with the strain of continuous reading, with about as much useful information as she had entered the Archives with.

"Are you serious? I look through over a hundred different books and scrolls, and I find nothing?!" she mumbled aloud angrily. Venting her frustration, she aimed a half-hearted kick at an empty bookcase. All this resulted in was a throbbing pain in her hoof and an even fouler mood. Then, to add insult to injury, a fresh wave of books and scrolls tumbled down on her from their hiding place atop the bookcase.

As she exhumed herself from the pile of dusty tomes, all the while muttering some rather colourful language, she yanked a thin wad of bound parchments from her mouth. But something caught her eye as she tossed the crudely bound excuse for a book to the far side of the table. It was a small wax seal on the front. A stylised star, with a swirling spiral background. Twilight's eyes twinkled with wonder. She would recognise that seal anywhere.

"No way... C-could it be…?" she whispered in amazement as she pulled the bound papers closer. Tentatively she peeled back the front cover. Her breath caught in her throat as she read the first lines:

_"…Here follows the account of Starswirl the Bearded, on the origins of the Alicorns, the creation of our world, the coming of the Blight, and the forging of the Elements of Harmony. All information is gained from first-hoof interviews with Their Majesties Princesses Luna and Celestia._

_"In the beginning, in the time before time, there was the Vita. For an eternity, the Vita was without form, alone in an empty universe. Then, as it gathered together, pressing in upon itself, it came into physical form. And thus Cosmos came to be…"_

* * *

"Good grief, this place could use a good dusting!" Rarity said with no trace of subtlety as she and her four friends wandered through the corridors of the Archives.

Applejack nudged her none too gently. "Just keep an eye out fer Twi already. She said she'd be in here somewhere."

"That pony at the main desk said she was in the 'Pre-Equestrian History' section. Any idea where that might be?" Rainbow said as she stared around at the thousands of shelves.

"Found her!"

Pinkie's voice rang out from around the bend. As they came round the corner they saw Twilight sitting at the table of the small room. Pinkie Pie was looming over her, trying to get a peek at what she was reading.

"There you are, sugarcube. Ah tell ya, it's pretty darn easy to get lost in this place." Applejack chuckled as they gathered around Twilight. A moment's awkward silence passed as the ponies waited for their friend to reply, or even acknowledge their presence.

"Um…Twilight? You okay there?" Pinkie ventured.

"I found it."

"Huh?" The five ponies took a step back as Twilight got up and turned to face them, a victorious smile on her tired face.

"So…you know where the Tears are, then?"

"Well, not really," Twilight replied. "But I do know where to get started. It was all thanks to these old papers I found entirely by accident!" She held the bound papers in a magical grasp, waving them enthusiastically in front of her friends.

Pinkie Pie beamed, "Awesome! So what are they anyway?"

The purple unicorn practically glowed with pride. "They're from his records. The written notes of Starswirl the Bearded!"

When there was no response to this momentous fact, Twilight hastily cleared her throat and continued, "So anyway, these are actually his own records all about the history of before Equestria was founded. It talks about where the Princesses came from, and the first conflict with Discord and everything!"

Rainbow Dash held up a hoof, "Yeah, that's cool and all, but what does this have to do with these Tear things?"

So Twilight read to them the passage, detailing the coming of the Others, the discovery of the Blight, the fall of Gaia and her weeping for her destroyed lands, and the gift of her Tears, which were forged into a great jewel, imbued with the magic of the Others.

"…Then the book goes off the subject of the tears mostly, talking about other subjects that Starswirl was interested in. But I have managed to deduce this much from his writings: that the place to start looking is in the Crystal Mountains, up in the north of Equestria."

She looked expectantly at her friends, but found that each and every one of them was occupied, sitting awestruck by the story she had related.

"Mah gosh…" Applejack muttered, "It's just pretty humblin' to hear about all this."

Rarity nodded. "Indeed… I had always rather wondered exactly where the Princesses came from. And to think, they used to be even more powerful than they are now!"

"It is a bit sad though," Fluttershy added, "thinking about how they can't be with their family anymore, after the rest of these Others left."

"Yeah, it is kinda sad. But hey, the Princesses have a whole country of ponies who love them now. And they got us too! We're like one great big ginormous family!" Pinkie chirped.

This got an appreciative chuckle from the group of friends.

Applejack turned to Twilight. "So Twilight, now that ya know all this, what's yer next move then?"

Twilight sat back down, sending the books back into their shelves with a wave of her glowing horn. "Well, I know where to start looking…so I guess my next move is to take the first step. I can head out tomorrow morning and reach the Crystal Mountains in a few days."

"Whoa, whoa! Twilight, has all the dust gone to yer head and made you nutty?!" Applejack cried. "You can't just go wanderin' off into Equestria like that!"

"Not alone, at least."

Every head turned to look at Rainbow Dash in surprise. The pegasus frowned back. "You heard me. You can't expect us to just let you go off on some random adventure into the unknown without us! We're your friends, Twilight!"

The others nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what if something happens to you and nopony's around to help? You could be stuck out there forever!" Pinkie added.

But Twilight was apprehensive. "I'm not sure…It's bound to be pretty dangerous. I mean, I'm thankful for the offer but…"

"No buts, sugarcube! We ain't gonna let any friend of ours go gettin' herself into danger alone."

"Normally I would be against such an endeavour," Rarity chimed in, "but the idea of going off to find what could be the most beautiful jewel in the world…ooh, how can I possibly resist!"

Fluttershy nervously spoke up too, "Well, it does sound like it could be…dangerous. B-but if you would all be there with me, I'm sure it would be a nice journey."

"There ya have it, Twi." Rainbow turned to Twilight with a confident smile. "If you wanna go on an adventure, we're coming with you."

Twilight looked around at the expectant faces of her friends. She wanted to reason that she had no idea what would await them at the Crystal Mountains, and that even she was not entirely certain there would even be anything there. But she could see a fire in each and everypony's eyes. She remembered back to the conflict with Nightmare Moon. They hadn't let her go on her own into danger then either. Relenting, she gave a smile. "You girls really are the best friends a pony could ask for."

"We ain't the Elements of Harmony fer nothin' Twilight." Applejack replied with a grin.

The purple unicorn nodded, "That's true. Alright. We'll all head out together. C'mon, let's find a hotel room or something for the night. We can head out tomorrow morning."

"What about Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked, "Don't you think we should tell somepony there that we'll be gone?"

"Good idea Fluttershy," Twilight nodded. "I'll write a note to Spike, telling him we'll be gone about a week. And I'll make sure to tell him to tell your family, Applejack. Oh, and we'll have to get somepony to take care of our pets..."

Chatting animatedly about all manner of preparations, the six young ponies headed out from the Archives, ready for a good night's sleep for the journey that lay ahead.


	3. From the Ashes of Time

As the late morning sun streamed through the windows of the Canterlot Royal Archives, old Scrollstacker readied himself for another quiet day. The Archives themselves were more of a storehouse of old books and artefacts than an actual library, so other than some big-shot researchers or historians wanting to study something, his days were mostly spent filing some new journals into their shelves, or doing his best to keep things tidy. The ever-present dust served as a constant reminder that he was fighting a losing battle on that front.

That said, he enjoyed the quiet time this job gave him. It gave him a chance to peruse some personal reading of his own, listen to some music on the gramophone in the back room, or simply sleep the day away!  
Blowing across his steaming mug of morning coffee, his ears pricked up as he heard the creak of the huge wooden doors swinging open. _So much for a quiet day._

"I'll be right out!" he called from the back room, taking another bracing sip of coffee.

"Don't worry, take your time." called back a gentle, serene voice from the main hall. Moments later, he emerged from the back room, a stack of books levitating before him. Plopping them down on his desk, he sat down and took another sip of coffee. "Good morning, and welcome to the Canterlot Royal Archives, how can I help…?" But as he looked up he froze.

"Good morning to you too, Mr Scrollstacker." said Princess Celestia as she stood before him, a smile that could light up the night gracing her lips.

The old unicorn coughed and spluttered as he hastily swallowed his scalding mouthful of coffee. Not only to speak, but to avoid a most undignified spit-take. "Y-your Majesty! I… I apologise, I should have come right out! If I'd known it was you…"

The princess raised a hoof to stop Scrollstacker before he could start prostrating himself before her. "But you didn't know it was me, so it's quite alright. In fact, I should apologise to you, I should have said I was coming."

"No no, it's quite alright!" Scrollstacker shook his head frantically. "It's an honour, in fact! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? I heard you were busy with those foreign emissaries."

"The actually left just an hour ago. Sadly neither of them left in a particularly good mood." Celestia's smile fell for a moment. "Luna and I were up talking with them ever since the night before last, and unfortunately no agreement could be reached… Come to think of it, if you don't mind I could do with a cup of coffee myself. Would you be so kind?"

He nearly toppled a nearby stack of parchment in his haste to get up. "Of course, your Majesty! Right away!" He hurried into the back room to prepare Celestia's drink. "Do you take cream and sugar with your coffee?"

"Just cream please," Celestia said, hiding a grin. As much as she disliked how everypony would go out of their way to please her, she could not deny that it was a little amusing sometimes.

Scrollstacker returned with the fresh mug levitating before him. He passed it to the princess and she gripped it in the golden aura of her own magical grip. Taking a dainty sip, she closed her eyes and sighed as she felt the warmth of the drink coursing through her whole body. "Ahh, that's better."

"So if I may your highness, what exactly were the emissaries asking for? The newspapers didn't really give any reason."

Celestia put the mug down on a scrap piece of parchment. "Oh, it was nothing to worry about. There was some trouble going on in Cervidas and they were requesting military aid from us and the Griffon Kingdom. Of course I could only refuse and… well, let's just say that the griffons and the deerfolk don't exactly see eye to eye."

"Ah, I see… so why have you come here then?"

"Well," Celestia took up her mug of coffee again. "I was actually hoping to see my student, Twilight Sparkle. I was told she was doing some research here, so I came by to visit."

"Ah, well then you're a tad late, your highness. She left yesterday evening, without clearing away might I add!" the old unicorn huffed.

"They left already? That's a shame; I would have loved to see her again. So what was she doing here anyway?"

Scrollstacker rolled his eyes. "Oh, she was looking for evidence about the Tears of Gaia. Honestly, you'd think a pony as smart as her would be able to tell the difference between history and fantasy!"

Chuckling at his own joke, Scrollstacker failed to see the shadow that passed over Celestia's face for the briefest of moments. "Oh, but I did hear her and her friends talking about the Crystal Mountains, and travelling up that way earlier today… Your Highness, are you alright?"

The princess blinked and shook her head, as if dispelling a headache "Hmm? Oh, no it's alright…I'm fine. Thank you for your help, Mr Scrollstacker."

Without another word she turned on the spot and hurried back down the hallway and out the door, shutting it behind her with a little more force than necessary. The old archivist stared blankly in the direction she had left. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

That night Princess Luna was wandering the corridors of Canterlot Castle, basking in the pools of moonlight that streamed through the windows, when she heard the echo of hoofsteps emanating from upstairs. Fluttering up to the top landing, she followed the steady clip-clop sound until she stood before the doorway to her sister's royal chambers. She tapped on the door gently. "Sister, why are you awake still? Is all well?"

She received no response. But she could just make out Celestia muttering something, "How could I be so _blind_? It all makes sense now… "

"I am coming in!" Luna called out as she twisted the doorknob and opened the door to Celestia's chambers. The source of the sound became obvious as she saw Celestia, pacing back and forth across the room, her face stern and anxious. Every other little ornate detail in the princess' bedroom was in its rightful place except for the bedspread which had been carelessly tossed aside "Sister? 'Tis almost midnight, what are you doing awake? Is something the matter?"

Celestia stopped her pacing, standing silent in the middle of the room. She looked up, as if only just noticing Luna's presence "Oh, hello Luna… Yes, there is indeed something the matter. I-I'm worried about my faithful student…"

"Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked. "What has she done now, enchanted another of her belongings with a want-it-need-it spell?" she added with a chuckle.

"This is serious, Luna! Twilight may be in serious danger!"

The chuckled died in Luna's throat as she saw the look on Celestia's face. It read nothing but anxiety. "I've been informed that she and her friends have gone on a hunt for the Tears of Gaia."

The lunar princess felt a heavy twinge in her heart as she heard that name. Even after all she had been through, the name of her fallen sister still tugged at her heartstrings. "The Tears of Gaia? You are certain of this?"

"Beyond any doubt." Celestia replied. "Scrollstacker at the Archives told me that she came in yesterday to do research on the Tears, and left later that day with her friends, talking about travelling to the Crystal Mountains."

"But how is that possible? Indeed, the Crystal Mountains are the starting point for seeking the Tears, but how could she know? The location of the tears has passed from common knowledge for many millennia now."

Celestia sat on the floor and shrugged "I'm not sure. But I asked around a bit more, and she and her friends set out early this morning. Who knows where they've reached by now?!"

Luna sat down beside her sister. "What eludes me is why you are so worried. This is not the first time your protégée and her friends have gone adventures before. And perhaps rediscovering the Tears now could be a boon for Equestria. Imagine what could be done with that amount of raw magical power!"

"At any other time I would agree with you, little sister. But I fear that something may be awakening in the south. Remember what the deer emissary said about the conflicts in Cervidas? What was his description of the foe they were fighting?"

Luna tapped her chin with a hoof as she recollected the stag's words. "Hmm…If I recall correctly, he called them 'twisted, monstrous mockeries of creatures'."

"Indeed he did." Celestia replied. "And he went on to describe a strange infection that seemed to come from these creatures, taking over the bodies of any creature that came close to them and… changing them. And how did he describe this infection?"

"Well, he said it resembled a great black…cloud." Luna trailed off as the realisation hit her like a freight train. "You aren't suspecting…?"

"That's exactly what I am suspecting. It's back. The Blight has returned."

Silence reigned in the bedroom as both princesses digested this discovery. The terrible truth hung in the air like a lead weight. Memories flooded back to them of their struggle against the Blight and its control. Faces of its victims, twisted in fear as the corruption took over their bodies. Their own brothers mutilated into ruined and terrible abominations.

"But where could the Blight have come from after so long?" Luna asked, finally finding her voice again.

"Well, when we fought against Discord the first time, we imprisoned him in stone. At the time, the Blight was using his body as a host, and so it must have been imprisoned along with him."

"And when he escaped, so did the Blight?"

Celestia nodded. "And it must have fled when they were freed. And now, it must be gathering strength again… It could already have reached Equestria and we haven't even realised…"

Luna wrapped a comforting foreleg around Celestia's withers. "So what do you plan to do?"

"Well, somepony needs to warn Twilight and her friends. The Tears of Gaia hold more magical energy than all of Equestria combined. If the Blight gets to it, it could spell doom for us all!"

"But who would you send?" Luna got up and stood by the window, gazing out onto the city below. "If I may express a personal opinion, the less of our subjects who know about this, the better."

Celestia nodded. "Agreed. We don't want to start a panic. Besides, nopony alive apart from us is aware of the existence of the Tears or the Blight."

The clock chimed midnight as Luna embraced her sister, and the two sat in silence again. Minutes passed with no word from either sister. Luna felt her sister's warmth through her foreleg, and for a moment, he suspected that her sister may have final fallen asleep. The navy-blue princess smiled, _'tis not often that she should fall asleep in my forelegs, and not vice-versa.  
_  
That was until Celestia spoke up again.

"That's it."

Luna turned to see her sister's face turn grim with determination. "Tia?"

"Nopony alive other than us knows. I know exactly who must go after them." Celestia said, her voice now strong with determination. As she got up and headed for the door, she found her way blocked by Luna.

"Step aside, Luna."

"I will not, sister of mine. Surely you see the wrongs in your action."

"Oh come now, Luna…"

The younger sister stomped her hoof "No, you will listen! This is wrong and you know it! Your duty is the protection of all ponykind, not just your student!"

"Please Luna, just let me…wait, what?" Celestia paused.

"You heard me. As the rulers of Equestria, our duty is to protect all our subjects. Pardon how callous this may sound, but you cannot throw that aside just for the sake of protecting Twilight Sparkle!"

A smile slowly grew on Celestia's face as she deciphered her sister's words. "You really think I would do that? Let my love for Twilight take priority over all of Equestria?"

Luna relaxed her stance a bit. "So…you do not plan… to go after her yourself?"

"Luna, I love Twilight Sparkle as if she were my own daughter." Celestia replied, gently moving her sister aside. "But even _I_ think that's ridiculous. I wouldn't put her above the safety of the rest of my subjects!"

"So who do you plan to send?" Luna asked, her curiosity growing by the minute.

Celestia said nothing, but strode down the dark corridors of the palace, Luna at her side. Down the stairs they went, out the back entrance and onto the grounds. Apart from the two sisters, there wasn't a single creature about. Even the beasts and birds of the night seemed shut away at this late hour. Not a word passed between the two as they crossed the grounds and passed through the streets of Canterlot. Once again the solar princess found herself before the massive building of the Archives. Her horn glowed with a gentle golden light that spread to envelope her whole body. Encased by her magical aura, Celestia strode up to, and through, the locked wooden doors.

Luna hesitated, though. She was still completely in the dark concerning her sister's idea. What could help them in the Archives?

Before she could muse any further, Celestia's head poked back through the door "Come on, Luna. If I'm going to do this, I'll need your help."

"This is _illegal_, sister! This is Breaking and entering, as well as trespassing!"

Celestia replied with a confident grin "How so? Technically all of Canterlot is our own land, so we can't trespass on it. And we're not breaking in, per se, are we? Now come!"

Her head disappeared through the wall again, leaving Luna alone again. Looking around quickly, Luna sighed and cast her own spell, rendering herself immaterial and phasing through the wall.

The two sisters strode through the endless shelves of the Archives, the only light provided by their own horns.

"Are you ever going to tell me exactly what you plan to do?" Luna said, now getting thoroughly annoyed.

"Ah, here we are." Celestia said, ignoring Luna's question. Passing through a locked door on their right, they found themselves in a small room bedecked with shelves and desks. A dais rose up from the centre of the room, topped by a massive hourglass suspended between two brass posts.

"And what, pray tell, do you expect to find in here?" Luna asked, now beyond annoyed and starting to feel bored with her sister's antics.

In answer, the white princess placed a hoof on the bottom of the hourglass and tipped it over. As it reached upside-down and began to pour its sands the other way, there was a gentle click somewhere below the dais. Turning it over to its original stance, Celestia smiled as she felt the dais give before her. With a gentle telekinetic push, the massive stone slid along a groove in the floor.

Luna gasped as the dais gave way to reveal a large, round hole in the floor, stone steps twisting own into the darkness below.

"We have to hurry. I have to get this all done so I can get back in time to raise the Sun." said Celestia, before hurrying down the stairs. "Come along, Luna!"

Seeing no alternative, and now truly desperate to find out her sister's plan, Luna shrugged before following her down into the dark.

After what seemed like endless steps, they found themselves in a small room. It was completely empty, save for a large block of blue-grey stone, dotted with white jewels that seemed to shimmer and light up the darkness.  
Celestia stood before it. "It's been a long time, friend. Time to wake up."

* * *

Fluttershy's eyes fluttered and slowly opened, just as the first streams of daylight peeked over the horizon. Pushing her blanket aside she raised her head and smiled, finally getting a good look at their campsite. She and her friends had been walking long after sunset the night before, and so when they finally set up camp there was not enough light to see much of their surroundings. But now as the rosey fingers of dawn illuminated the world below, she could see that they had set up camp in a broad clearing, a thicket of trees to their right, and a small stream meandering by their left.

"Morning, sleepyhead!"

Rolling over onto her side, she could see Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle, both seated by a small campfire. Twilight was busy poring over a large scroll, a detailed map of Equestria drawn intricately onto it, and marking routes and paths with a pencil.

Pinkie waved to fluttershy with a cheerful smile. "C'mon Fluttershy, it's time for breakfast!"

The pegasus then finally realised what it was that had awoken her: The heavenly scent of fresh toast. Pinkie had set up a grille over the top of a small campfire, on which she was toasting slices of brown bread. Fluttershy noticed with some curiosity that the campfire in question, burned a strange purple colour.

"Isn't this great? Twilight agreed to conjure up a fire for us! Nothing like fresh toast and jam to start your day!" Pinkie said as she deftly flipped a slice of toast over with the tip of her snout. "Ooh, feels like they're almost done!"

"Well, it just seemed safer than trying to start a real fire," replied Twilight. "Besides, we're not really in any hurry. We can afford to take things slowly."

And true to her word, they did indeed take the morning slowly. It was another fifteen minutes before Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash awoke (Some needing more encouragement than others), and they took breakfast at a leisurely pace, filling themselves up for the day's hike. After all, they had been walking non-stop across country since they left Canterlot the previous morning, and they had been too tired to make a proper supper.

"Mmm, delicious…" Rainbow mumbled through a mouthful of toast and jam. "So Twilight, what's the plan for today?"

Putting her slice of toast aside, Twilight unrolled the map and levitated it in front of them. "Well, we're about here, inbetween this river…" she pointed to a long winding line on the map, "And these mountains here, the Foal Mountains. It's a pretty simple trek, straight up north along the river. If we keep a good pace, we can make up through the woods and to the base of Neighagra Falls…"

"Neighagra Falls?!" Rarity squealed, "Oh, we simply must stop there! I've always wanted to see them, but never had the chance myself! It's supposed to be simply gorgeous!"

Twilight grinned. "Well then good news, Rarity. By my calculations, we'll probably be camping there tonight."

The white unicorn promptly toppled over backwards, a giddy smile plastered on her face.

One quick dunking in the river, and one awake and thoroughly drenched unicorn later, and the six of them were busy packing away their supplies. It was due to only be a journey of about a week, so huge amounts of supplies were not needed.

Each of them carried their own blanket (which could double as a cloak if need be) and a small pillow, a canteen of apple juice, along with a variety of food, ranging from apples and pears to small loaves of bread to sweets and miniature cakes, as well as plenty of fresh vegetables and flowers. Along with this, each pony had packed their own supplies that they knew would prove useful, such as Applejack's coils of rope, Twilight's maps and scrolls, Fluttershy's first-aid kit, Rainbow Dash's lucky Wonderbolts scarf, Rarity's newly purchased hat, and Pinkie Pie's cooking equipment, which included of all things, a jar of sprinkles.

"I tell you girls, you never know when sprinkles can come in handy until you need them and don't have them!" she insisted as she rolled up her blanket and strapped it to the top of her saddlebags.

"Right… So girls, we ready to go then?" Rainbow asked as she slipped her own saddlebags around her shoulders. All five mares nodded.

"Alright then, let's move!" Twilight proudly stated, leading the way. Her horn glowed magenta, and the purple fire died down before sparking out completely with a small pop. Turning to face north, the ponies set out along the riverside at a leisurely pace.

As they hiked across the landscape, the ponies chatted idly, their minds wandering to just about anything. They would talk about what they could see, interesting landmarks they passed, what they expected to run into, anything that crossed their minds.

"As lovely as this hike is," Rarity spoke up, "I see no reason we couldn't have gotten a train at least some of the way. I'm sure we could have cut the journey time in half!"

But Applejack shook her head. "Nothin' doin', Rarity. The trains don't go this far north. Northbound lines all head east from here, over to Manehattan and Hollow Shades. Darn shame that Hollow Shades ain't on our route, my Auntie Honeycrisp lives up in those parts."

"Besides, Rarity, if we took the train, we couldn't stop and have sights like this all to ourselves."

"Like what?" Rarity looked up ahead to where Twilight was standing at the top of a low ridge. She and the others trotted up to the top of the ridge to join her. Each and every one of them stared with wide eyes, Rarity's eyes wider than any others, "Oh my."

It was like an endless sea of green, rolling and shimmering as the gentle summer breeze blew through it. It stretched for miles, uninterrupted by any settlement or building, broken only by the river which snaked and twisted through the plains into the distance, and the occasional copse of trees or rocky outcrop. The sunlight streamed through gaps in the clouds above, forming vast, mile-wide spotlights on the ground. And there on the far horizon, were the dim purple-grey silhouettes of the Crystal Mountains.

"I take back what I said." Rarity whispered, awestruck. "This was worth the long hike."

The group stood and stared for a good five minutes before they could finally collect themselves and continue the trek into the rolling plains of grass. Not a word passed between the ponies as they looked around in awe, silent except for the occasional gasp or sigh of wonder. So entranced was Twilight especially, that it took her a while to realise that Pinkie had begun whistling and humming odd little melodies and bars of music to herself. She turned to look back at the group and caught the eye of her bubbly pink friend.

"Oops, sorry!" Pinkie said, suddenly stopping her humming. "Was I ruining the moment?!"

"No no, go ahead." Twilight shook her head, smiling. "It just sounded nice. What was that?"

Pinkie gazed around for a moment before answering, "Oh, just a little song I was putting together in my head. Because really, when somepony's hiking through huge epic landscapes like this, what that pony needs is a song to sing about it!"

The six friends chuckled at this thought. Rarity picked up the pace slightly until she was walking alongside Pinkie. "Well by all means darling, if you feel like singing go right ahead!"

"Yeah, a good walkin' song could help to keep us trottin' at a smart pace." Applejack commented from behind.

Pinkie needed no second bidding. Puffing up her chest with a deep intake of air, she burst into song, strolling along in time:

_"There's a road, calling me astray,  
Step by step, pulling me away  
Under moon and sun and star  
We'll take that road, no matter how far!_

_Where it goes to, nopony knows  
Who really cares? Just follow where it goes!  
To strange new lands beyond the sun,  
Take that road, wherever it ruuuuuuuns!_

_The road goes on, forever ever on,  
Over hills and plains and vales  
Mile by mile, free and wild,  
To surprise me, the wo-orld, never fails!_

_Few more miles, then some lunch,  
Those flowers look yummy, would you like a bunch?  
Rest our rumps on the grassy floor,  
Then take that road a hundred miles more!_

_Pluck some fruit from the branches of a tree,  
Juicy and plump, and sweet as can be!  
Rambling on from place to place,  
With a big happy smile on everypony's faaaaace!_

_The road goes on, forever ever on,  
Over hills and plains and dales  
Mile by mile, free and wild,  
To surprise me, the wo-orld, never fails!_

_Stop when the sun falls for the day,  
Down in a flowery bed we lay.  
Sleep through the quiet night, safe and sound,  
Dreaming of wherever you're bound._

_Wake up in time to watch the sunrise,  
Wipe the sleep-sand from your eyes,  
Then head out into the world again,  
To seek adventure with all my very best friiieeends!"_

As she broke into the final chorus of her song, Pinkie suddenly heard her voice mingled with the voices of six other ponies, all singing in a joyous harmony. Looking to her left and right, she found all her friends trotting beside her, singing their little pony hearts out:  
_  
"The road goes on, forever ever on,  
Over hills and plains and dales  
Mile by mile, free and wild,  
To surprise meeeeeee, the woooo-orld, neeeeveeeer faaaaiiiiils!"_

The six ponies trotted on in high spirits, laughing and cheering at their own impromptu performance. They leapt and bounded and tumbled through the tall grass, some of the braver and more carefree splashing through the shallow river that they were following. It was a delight to be out in the wild countryside like this. Sure, Ponyville was no metropolis with its neighbouring forests and farmlands, but this… this was true wilderness. No civilisation for settlements for miles around. Even Rarity had to agree that it was definitely for the best.

Unbeknownst to the young mares, they were not truly alone on these plains. A few hundred yards away, a solitary creature stood among the grass, chewing contently at the juicy green blades as the wind whistled through his broad, palmate antlers.

Old Alcesco's ears had pricked up at the rare sound of voices carrying on the breeze. As he watched the young ponies hiking through his country side, a warm smile creased his wrinkled face as he heard the bright pink one singing at the top of her lungs. "Now that was nice," Alcesco said aloud to nobeast in particular when the song ended, "It does an old fellow good to hear young 'uns singing."

Sound carried far on these grassy plains, however, and it seemed that Alcesco may have spoken a little louder than he thought. The white pony in the midst of the group turned and waved straight at him.

"Oh look! A moose!"


End file.
